Star Trek Online turns 2yrs old – Releases new ships and feature episodes!
I know many of you MMO gamers out there (including myself) are playing in a galaxy far far away (Star Wars: The Old Republic 
right now, but i just wanted to mention that other big space franchise – ‘Star Trek Online‘ who turns 2 years old this month.
Despite some of it’s faults (read our review of STO here), i have a soft spot for STO, and up until SWTOR came out, I found it had one of the most engaging systems for drawing players into an MMO story.
For Star Trek Online‘s 2nd birthday, they are releasing Odyssey class, and the Bortas Klingon Flagship to players (useable at rear admiral level), and a trailer for their new featured episode. Plus STO is now free-to-play, so if you are MMOing on a budget, it’s well worth a look!
Will There Be a Terra Nova Season 2?
Will Terra Nova return?
We’ve recently been getting a multitude of questions we’re about if/when Terra Nova is coming back for a 2nd season. The answer is… we don’t know yet… and might not for another couple of months due to a number of issues.
Firstly, Terra Nova is an expensive show to make, and has a fairly long production cycle. However, it got respectable viewer numbers by today’s standards, but it depends if the network (Fox) think the expense is returning enough viewers. As i’ve said many many times before on the site, TV is a business, and they are in it to make money. You could have a brilliant show, but if you’re not returning the viewing figures, you’re getting canned. It sucks, but that’s how it is.
Secondly, Fox are in an odd position this year, as an 3 of their potential biggest new drama shows haven’t aired yet. JJ Abrams’ ‘Alcatraz‘, Kiefer Sutherland’s ‘Touch‘, and Bones spin-off ‘The Finder‘ are all still to air. This leaves Fox with a bit of a dilemma… To give Terra Nova any hope of being ready for the 2012 Fall Season, they have to be back in production by April this year. It’ll be the end of Jan before all 3 of the aforementioned dramas have aired, which means Fox may need to make a budget decision on Terra Nova’s future before having a decent grasp on how all their new shows are going to fair. The very earliest Fox will likely want to make an official decision would be February, which is already leaving Terra Nova limited pre-production time.
IF Terra Nova does get renewed for Season 2, it will air in September 2012 on Sky 1.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Flash Mob!
If you’ve noticed things on the site have been a bit quite recently, this is for 2 reasons. 1 – It’s was Christmas, and 2 – Star Wars: The Old Republic was released.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a game we here at GeekTown have been waiting for since it was first announced Bioware were working on an MMORPG back in 2007, so it’s been a long time coming. We’ve been playing since beta, and it’s just got better and better with every update. The game already has some spectacular numbers under it’s belt, with over 5.5 million hours played by it’s 1 million and rising subscribers. One of the more interesting stats released was the fact the players have so far created 850,000 Sith Warriors and over 810,000 Jedi Knights, so it seems the draw of the dark side is just slightly stronger than the light.
The game itself is superb. Brilliantly constructed and deeply involving story lines, with every character fully voiced, it stands way above most other MMOs out there. Bioware have worked really hard to make sure SWTOR puts the RPG back into MMORPG.
As part of the promo for SWTORs release, Bioware/EA organised a genius ‘flash mob’ event in Times Square NYC. Wonder if it was a ‘bring your own lightsaber’ event, or if they were provided. ;)
Showcase Channel go on a Starhyke!
Tired of waiting for the Red Dwarf series X? This might be just the thing to help fill the long wait till Autumn 2012!
Starring Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Jeremy Bulloch (Star Wars), Starhyke is a sci-fi comedy set in the year 3034, when the human race has suppressed all forms of emotion. So when the Reptids (the only unconquered alien race in our galaxy) threaten to release a weapon to reawaken human emotion, it’s up to Captain Blowhard (Christian) and her increasingly inept crew to travel back in time to stop them from changing the past and altering our future forever. Now plagued by uncontrollable emotions, the crew of the Nemesis find not-so practical ways of coping, whilst Dr Striker (Bulloch) looks for a cure in the most unusual places…
The show is also packed full of familiar sci-fi stars. Claudia Christian, best known as Commander Susan Ivanova in Babylon 5, said “Starhyke was an absolute joy to work on. The combination of a stellar cast, hilarious situations and the ability to play around in a comedy again was a joy for me… I love the combination of sci-fi and comedy and only the Brits can truly pull it off!” Jeremy Bulloch, the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett in the Star Wars trilogy said of his character, “Doctor Striker is a part I really enjoyed playing because he is completely insane! He a loveable rogue and quite daft, a lot like me!”.
Other stars include Suanne Braun (Stargate SG-1) and Rachel Grant (Die Another Day) and Brad Gorton (London’s Burning). The series also features guest appearances from Danny John-Jules (Cat in the aforementioned Red Dwarf), Mike Edmonds (Time Bandits) and even the legendary Sir Patrick Moore like you’ve never seen him before!
Starhyke has been a huge success on DVD for Bristol based Lightworx Media, and has built a steady fanbase through the sci-fi convention circuit, but this is the first time the anarchic mix of sci-fi, drama and humour has come to UK television. “It’s been difficult at times, but we were always spurred on by the reactions from sci-fi fans and the unwavering support they’ve given toward the series” says producer Jonathan G. Brown.
The series will premiere on Showcase TV on Sky 201 and Freesat 403 at 8pm from the 13th December, with repeats on Fridays at 2pm and Sundays at 4pm from the 1st January 2012.
For more info visit www.starhyke.com
Top 5 Free-to-Play MMORPGs
Over the past few years MMORPG‘s have gone through a bit of a change regarding the way they are funded. More and more of them are turning to a free-to-play model to sustain a player base. However, free-to-play MMO no longer means some browser-based 2D cutesy import from Japan. Some serious hard hitters of the MMO genre are now turning free-to-play. Here’s our list of the top 5.
5. Age of Conan
Age of Conan
Age of Conan had a bit of a rough ride on release. The first 20 levels were brilliantly stitched together, whilst the rest of the game was somewhat in disarray. Thankfully it’s survived its turbulent birth and worked hard to patch out its rough edges, to become one of the most brutal MMO’s available today.
Their F2P model restricts some of the character classes and slots, but there is still enough in there to keep most casual MMO players occupied. And most importantly, you can still behead your enemies with a few swift blows of your broadsword.
4. City of Heroes
City of Heroes
City of Heroes maybe one of the older MMOs out there, but that by no means limits it’s fun factor. Recent updates have seen some restructuring to the opening zones making them much less of a grind, and a switch so you get your ‘travel powers’ much earlier.
Because of it’s age, there is a huge amount of content and customisation in-game. Couple that with the lack of restrictions NCSoft have put on free players (no level cap restriction, loads of costume parts, most zones available at no extra cost) and it makes CoH well worth a look.
3. DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online
More superheroes, but this time some names your more likely to be familiar with. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash, to mention but a few. There is also a host of villains to work for, from Joker to Lex Luther, to Talia al Ghul, pretty much every major hero and villain from DC’s universe is represented here.
SOE do place some restrictions on Free Players (limited character slots, inventory & bank slots, trading etc…), but if you fancy checking out DCU, it’s possible to play through 30 levels of superhero/villain goodness. Also, you only need to spend $5 in the online store to gain access to the mid-level ‘Premium’ account which raises the level of most of the restrictions to most casual players would be comfortable with.
2. Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online
STO is a game that has come along in leaps and bounds since it’s release in 2010. Issues with the lack of ‘Trekkiness’ were solved. Lots more content was added, both by developers Cryptic, and by players themselves through the brilliant Foundry feature. A combat overhaul was done, to improve the phaser firing aspect of the game, plus more customisation to costumes, interiors to player ships, and various pets and other ‘fluff’ items were added.
Overall it’s a hugely improved game from it’s rather rushed release. Once again F2P players will have some limits on their account. Less character slots, limits on money and inventory storage, chat and mail restrictions, and they’ll be locked out of the Foundry Creator. However, the level cap will still be achievable, and all sector and missions are accessible on a F2P account, so you won’t be short of things to do! STO doesn’t actually go free-to-play till Jan 17th 2012 – But when it does, I urge you to take a journey into the final frontier.
1. Lord of the Rings Online
Lord of the Rings Online
As huge Tolkien fans, LotRO was a MMO all the gamers here in GeekTown fell in love with when it was first released. From those early quests avoiding hungry hobbits delivering pies in the Shire, to battling trolls and even a Balrog in the later game, it’s extremely easy to lose yourself in the massive world Turbine have created.
There are restrictions on F2P players. The amount of cash you can carry is limited, and you can’t auction items. Your also only allowed 1 character slot per server (with more purchasable), and some of the higher level areas need to be purchased. You can however level your hobbit, dwarf, elf or human up to the game’s level cap, and it’s a great way to test out a superb MMO without having to outlay a penny. If you’re a fan of Tolkien, it’s worth installing even if it’s just to wander around the Shire.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 DVD Review
George Lucas and the team at Lucasfilm are back to fill the gap between Episodes II & III with Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3, coming to DVD and high-definition Blu-ray Disc on 17 October 2011 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner Home Video.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3, is very much a season of 2 halves. The series opens on the homeworld of the clone army – Kamino, where we follow the rather less than stellar performing ‘Domino Squad’ being pushed through their clone training paces. It’s an enjoyable starting point which delves further into the inner-workings of the clone army training regimen, and leads to an action packed 2nd episode with General Grievous and Ventress launching a full on assault on the cloning facility.
Episode 3 (‘Supply Lines’), sees things take a slight turn for the worse as Jar Jar Binks shows up… This starts a run of episodes focusing on the politics of the Republic, with various characters dealing with trade missions and other political matters which, whilst adding texture to the background of The Clone Wars, feel a little out-of-place in a Star Wars animated show.
Things start to pick up again with the R2-D2, C-3PO centred episode ‘Evil Plans’, where a simple shopping trip of the droid companions leads to the escape of Ziro The Hutt, and the introduction of fan favourite Jedi Master ‘Quinlan Vos’ (making his first appearance in animated form) to help Obi-Wan track Ziro down.
The Clone Wars, Season 3
There are a few other significant story arcs this season. We see the planet of ‘Mortis’ for the first time, and it’s inhabitants ‘The Ones’ – Father, Daughter and Son. These 3 seem to have an enormous connection to The Force, although George is playing his cards close to his chest on exactly what their connection is.
Episode 18 – ‘The Citadel’ starts a 3 part story arc where Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell from an impenetrable prison, along with a young Captain Tarkin. The 2 episode arc (starting with Episode 21 – ‘Padawan Lost’) sees Ahsoka kidnapped by Trandoshan slavers for their big hunt, which leads to the first Clone Wars for a certain favourite walking carpet…
The standout arc for me though goes to Katie Lucas (daughter of George), who turns in a great 3 parter (starting at episode 12 – Nightsisters). After Count Dooku is ordered by Darth Sidious to kill his apprentice Ventress, she escapes Dooku’s assassination attempt and returns to her Nightsister clan to plot revenge. This involves turning Dathomirian Zabrak Nightbrother ‘Savage Opress’ into a terrifying warrior to act as Dooku’s new apprentice, only to have him turn on his new master on Ventress’s command. It also leads to a reveal that someone we thought long dead may not be as deceased as being sliced in half would usually imply…
Overall Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3, has some great stories in it, and even though the season is a little uneven, it’s well worth delving into for any Star Wars fan. The DVD extras also include some great detailed interviews with cast and crew about various key episodes in the run.
Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™ The Complete Season Three is out on Blu-Ray and DVD on 17 October 2011
8/10 – A bit uneven, but well worth it for any Star Wars fan!
